National Bariatric Registry

The aim of the National Bariatric Registry project is to develop and pilot a web based registry database for collecting standardized information on patients undergoing bariatric surgery at the participating clinical Bariatric Centers in Ontario. Beginning with an initial pilot centre in Hamilton, the registry will be expanded to include all bariatric centres of excellence in Ontario, and eventually include bariatric centres across the country, with Alberta being the next planned expansion (pending provincial funding).

The current National Bariatric Registry project will run for 3 years, with the centralized patient referral site going live at the end of November 2009.  Extensive data on each patient will be collected throughout the treatment process, including demographics, treatment method, weight loss success, physical and psychological improvements, complications, and much more.  Patients will be followed until September 2012, or longer if additional funding/support is received. 

The centralized National Bariatric Registry will help to identify new risks and assist in developing strategies to address them, inform decision makers, ensure patients safety, and identify practices and health services areas that require optimization and improvement. The creation of a bariatric registry supports the MOH Bariatric Strategy and will help to achieve the goal of more efficient patient treatment.

Importantly, the registry will also be used to generate testable hypotheses for research studies on the etiology, management, efficacy, health economics and health services impact of severe obesity.